Dr. Geoff Rideout has been honoured with a President's Award for his teaching

Dr. Geoff Rideout has been honoured with a President's Award for his teaching

Dec 23rd, 2014

By Jackey Locke

Dr. Geoff Rideout has been honoured with a President's Award for his teaching

The President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching recognizes outstanding teaching by a faculty member. Dr. Geoff Rideout’s passion and concern for his students has earned him this distinguished award.

The mechanical engineering professor has demonstrated exemplary dedication to his students. His approach to teaching is one of self-reflection and is student-focused. Dr. Rideout uses his personal experiences as an individual and as a professor in his teaching, as well as his time as a student. He teaches his students that learning is a lifelong process that starts with classroom interaction.

“Among my graduating class, Dr. Rideout was always known as a candid, caring and effective professor who put the students first. His unique and creative teaching style makes him such an effective professor. He uses a variety of methods to keep students engaged, most notably his props and demonstrations,” said former student Laura Pittman.

Dr. Rideout is also described as a teacher who has the unique ability to view the curriculum from the students’ perspective, simplifying concepts and always keenly aware of who his audience is and adjusting his approach accordingly. He regularly encourages feedback from his students on ways to improve their learning experience in the classroom.

For Dr. Rideout, this award is all about the success of his students.

“I’m very impressed by the success of our graduates, and I’m moved by the support I have received from former students. Despite this recent recognition, I find myself at a crossroads when it comes to teaching. I’m looking into doing some things fundamentally differently in pursuit of deeper learning and increased student ability to use course concepts when they get out of here,” said Dr. Rideout.

Dr. Rideout completed a bachelor of engineering degree in mechanical engineering from Memorial University; a master’s in applied science from Queen’s University and a PhD from the University of Michigan. Earlier this year, he received the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science’s first Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence, and was appointed as the faculty’s first director of first-year engineering. He is also very involved in various faculty groups, such as the Committee of Undergraduate Studies (CUGS).